Driving means for wire-stranding machines



D. R. FRANCIS DRIVING "ANS FOR WIRE STRANDING MACHINES Sept. 2, 1930.

Filed Jan. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

INVENTOR D/]N/EL R. FQ /vc/s W M ATTORNEYS Sept 2,- 1930.

D. R. FRANCIS 1,774,880

DRIVING IBAUS FOR WIRE STRANDING MACHINES FilodrJan. 5, 1929 g Shasta-Shut 2 MW HM I f I ATTORNEYS 4 bury-- upon which the Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFxcE DANIEL R. rmmcrs on WATERPBUBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATERB'Q'RY TOOL COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT DRIVING MEANS FOR WIRE-STBANDING MACHINES Application This invention relates to driving means for wire stranding machines. .In the manufactureof wire rope on stranding machines it is customary to employ two separate drives for the stranding machine. One of these drives is used for rotating a spider which carries a plurality of spools of wire. This spider is ordinarily in the form of a cylindrical Cage and may consist of one or more sections. 1 plurality ofv spools of wire are rotatably mounted at spaced points upon the cage-like spider adjacent to the periphery thereof and the wires from such spools are carried through a control die in which the wires are associated with a fibre core, the core usually being carried through a hollow shaft spider is mounted. The being revolved the wires are twisted the core to form the wire rope in its finished form. The rope is passed around a capstan drum and the latter is revolved to draw the twisted rope through the die. The relative speeds' of'the spider and capstan determine the helix or pitch, or, as it is commonly called in the rope industry, the lay of the wire.

The proper proportioning of the speeds of the capstan drum and spider has always been a matter ofgreat difficulty. It is absolutely essential that the relative or proportional speeds ofthese two members be accurately controlled in order to obtain the uniform finished product of definite standard properties. If the lay is not right, the wires will either close down on each other forming spider about a tube-like structure around the core and not gripping it, or the wires will close. down on the core and not be in contact with each other. In either case the rope will not have the desired properties. Inorder to produce high grade wire rope the lay must be so arranged that each strand of wire will be in contacting engagement with both-the core and the two adjacent wire strands throughout the entire length of the rope.

It is the common practice in the art to drive the capstan by gearing from the same drive that turns the spider and in order to obtain the proper ratio between the capstan and the spider it is found necessary fre- .sequently when the speed capstan be obtained.

filed January 5, 1929. Serial No. 330,590.

quently to change the gear ratio of the drive. In the past this gear ratio has been changed by the substitution of different pairs of gears.

stan speed and then it becomes necessary to vary the speed of the spider. Such X changes in the speed of the spider invariably are in the nature of speed reductions and conv of the spider is rea reduced production or output reduced,

Even with this change of'specd of sults.

the spider it is very seldom that exactly the proper ratio of the speeds of the spider and The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved construction-of a driving'means for a wire rope stranding machine by means of which the necessity for carryingthe large stock of gears is avoided and by means of which the speed ratio of capstan to spider may be accurately controlled and very slight variations or changes in such speed ratio may be made through the entire speed range of the driving gear.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved drive of the type set forth which, when adjusted for any desired speed ratio, will maintain such ratio with absolute accuracy and uniformity.

Another object is to provide a new and improved driving means for a wire rope'stranding machine that will be of marked simplicity, of compact and sturdy design and Frequently that will operate with certainty at all speeds 1 within the limits of the machine.

The above and other-objects will appear more fully from the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and wherein Fig. 1, is a plan view of an installation embodying the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of installation and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view partly in elevation and partly in section of one of the elements of the hydraulic gear which forms a part of the present invention.

I As shown in the drawings, the numeral- 15, a speed reduction gearing such as indt cated by the reference character 16 being interposed between the motor and shaft 14. The speed reduction gearing 16 has a shaftv 17 projecting laterally therefrom upon which shaft is secured a pinion 18 the latter meshing with and driving a gear 19 on the shaft 14.

5 The twisted or stranded ropeformed in the die 13 is drawn through the die by means of a capstan drum 20 in accordance with the usual construction of wire rope stranding machines.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention the drum 20 is driven from a hydraulic motor 21 to which fluid under pressure is circulated from a fluid pressure 1 pump 22 by means of the pipe lines 23, 24.

The fluid pressure pump and motor 22, 21 respectively, form the units of a hydraulic speed gear of the well known Waterbury type. In this type of speed gear the pump 22, or A-end, as it is usually called, supplies the fluid under pressure to the motor, or B- shaft is actuated by means of a hand wheel 33 and any suitable means, such-for'ex ample as that shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,680,975 granted-August 14, 1928, is preferably provided for locking the hand wheel and control shaft in adjusted position so that the speed of the hydraulic gear and therefore the capstan speed can not be varied by any unau- I The pump or A-end it will be noted is located, in the installation shown, immediately adjacent to, and is coupled to, the main driving means for the strandingmachine,

while the B-end or motor 21 is located some distance from the pump close to the capstan.

As shown, the pump 22 drives the capstan through a reduction gear of any suitable con-' struction wlnch gear is shown more or less diagrammatically in the drawings and is indicated by the, reference character 36. A pinion 37 secured to a'projecting shaft of the gear box 36 drives a spur gear 38 mounted on a jack, or counter, shaft 39. This shaft has secured to it a pinion 40 which meshes with a driving gear 41 secured to the shaft 42 of the capstan 20. In order to keep the fluid pressure system completely filled at all times end, 21. Both the A and Bends are of simiwith oil or other medium used as a pumping lar construction in that each comprises a rofluid, a reservoir 45 is located at a point tating barrel 25 having a plurality of cylinders 26 bored therein in parallelism with the reservoir communicates through the p pes 46 driving shaft 27 of the unit. Each cylinder and 47, respectively, with the top points of has mounted forreciprocation therein a pisthe casings of the pump and motor. The reston 28. and said pistons are reciprocated ervoir serves not only to insure that both the through the piston rods 29 by the medium of a swash plate- 30. The swash plate 30 is mounted for rotation within a tilting box 31. In the motor or B-end the tilting box is usuall held at a fixed inclination while in the -end the angle of inclination of the tilting box may be varied by means of a control shaft 32. The speed of rotation of the B-end or motor 21 is varied by changing the adjustment of the control shaft 32 and thereby the inclination of'the tilting box 31 of the pump or-=A-end. When the tilting box or the pump is at right angle to the driving shaft 27 thereof, the pistons 28 will have no stroke, no fluid will be delivered by the pump and the gear is said to be in neutral position. When, however, the tilting box is inclined to the shaft 21,,fluid will pump and motor, as well as the pipe lines 23, 24 will at all times be filled with fluid, but also serves to compensate for contraction and expansion of the fluid due to temperature changes. 1

In order to guard a ainst undue heating of the fluid contents of t e pressure system, the pipes 23,24 are preferably covered for a porhigher than any'point of the system and said tion of their length by water jackets 48, 49 I through which cooling water may be circulated.

The operation is as follows: Let it be assumed that the material which is to form cured to the capstan drum 20 in any suitable way and furthermore that the wires 13 have be pumped by the motor in one or the other been threaded through the control. die in the direction according as the tilting box is tilted usual manner. The motor 15 is set" in opera-' in either direction from its right angle or tion and the spider 10 will thereforebedriven neutral position. In the particular confrom the motor through the gear reduction structional example disclosed the control 16 and gears 17, 18. The driving shaft 27 .120 the core of the wire rope has been passed in rotationand assuming that the control shaft 32 has been adjusted to cause fluid to be pumped to the motor 21, the driving shaft of the latter will be rotated at a speed and in a direction in accordance with the setting of the control shaft of the pump. The motor 27 will cause the capstan 20 to be rotated through the reduction gear 36, gears 37 38, jack shaft 39 and gears 40, 41.

The speed of rotation of'the capstan 20 and therefore the linear speed of travel of the completed wire rope which, it will'be understood, is drawn through the die 13 by the action of the capstan 20 may be varied as desired by adjusting the position of the control shaft 32 of the pump 22. The pitch or lay of the strands can be controlled with mathematical accuracy as desired, because it is possible by slight changes of adjustment of the control shaft to secure very slight changes in the absolute speed of the capstan and therefore of its relative speed to the -spider 10. The motor 15 may be of any suitable construction preferably designed to run substantially at a uniform speed. If, however, there should be any variation of the speed of the motor, no'matter what the cause thereof, such variation will not affect the relative speeds of spider to capstan due to the fact that the pump 22 is also driven by the same motor 15. Therefore, when the control shaft 32 of the pump has been set to secure the desired speed ratio, such ratio will be maintained with absolute accuracy. The use of a hydraulic speed gear in the manner disclosed enables any desired speed ratio' between capstan and spider to be obtained. As every possible speed of capstan may be secured, and the most minute speed variations of the capstan are obtainable, the lay necessary for any size or ply of rope or wire.

may be secured with great exactness.

In Fig. 3 the invention is shown as carried out by the use of a type C Waterbury speed gear. In this type of gear, motor and pump units are constructed to form parts of an integral unit instead of being located at spaced points from each other in the manner shown in the installations of Figs. 1 and 2. p

The wire rope stranding machine shown in Fig. 3 is identical in construction to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The hydraulic speed gear consists ofa motor 21' and a pump 22' mounted immediately adjacent to each other toform in effect an integral structure. The pump is driven from the same driving shaft that drives the spider 10. Fluid from the pump is circulated to the motor through a dividing plate 61,-said plate being provided with suitable ports in accordance with the well known construction of hydraulic speed gears of the Waterbury type. The driving shaft of the motor 21" is connected by means of a speed reduction gear 26', a pinion 10,

speed and so that the control shaft may be and a spur gear41 with thecapstan 20. The

instantly set to secure the desired speed of capstan.

It will be understood that the specific constructional details. and the exact location of the speed gears shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples of satisfactory means for carrying out the invention and that many changes, variations and modifications of such details, locations, etc., may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. Ina wire rope stranding machine, a spider, driving means for rotating said spider, a control-die, a capstan drum for draw-' ing the stranded rope through said die, and means for rotating said capstan drum comprising a hydraulic gear consisting of a fluid pressure pump and a motor, driving connections between said pump and the spider driving means for'causing said pump to be driven 10( independently of the spider at a definite predetermined speed ratio relatively to said spider and driving connections between said capstan drum and said fluid pressure motor.

2. In a wire rope stranding machine, a

' ing the stranded rope through said die, and

means for rotating said capstan drum comprising a hydraulic gear consisting of a fluid no pressure pump and a motor, driving connections between said pump and the spider driving means for causing said pumpto be driven independently of the spider at a definite predetermined speed ratio relatively to said spider, said pump being provided with an adjustable control device by means of which the amount of fluid pumped by said pump and i j therefore the speed of rotation of said motor and of said capstan drum may be varied 12 infinitely within the range of said gear without eifecting any change of speed of said spider.

3. The combination with a wire rope stranding machine of the type wherein a 1 plurality of strands of wire are led from a rotatable spider and are associated by the action of a die in helical form upon a core, to form a stranded Wire rope and'said rope is pulled through said die by the action of a 1 predetermined limits.

4- mvaeeo capstan drum, of means for adjusting the linear speed of travel of said rope relatively to the speed of rotation of said spider thereby to regulatewithin precisepredetermined limits the pitch of the helical wires, said means comprising a rotary fluid pressure'pump, direct positive driving connections of invariable effect between the driving means for said spider and said pump, a rotary fluid pressure motor, positive driving connections of invariable effect between said motor and said capstan drum, and conduits connecting said pump and motor whereby said capstan drum is driven independently of said spider, said pump bein provided with an adjustable control shaft by means of which the output of said pump may be infinitely varied within 4. The combination with a wire rope stranding machine of the type wherein a plurality of strands of wire are'led from a rotatable spider and are associated by the ac- .tion of a die in helical form upon a core, to

form a stranded wire rope and said rope is pulled through said die by the action of a capstan drum, of means for adjusting the linear speed of travel of said rope relatively' to the speed of rotation of said spider thereby to regulate within precise predetermined limits the pitch of the helical wires, said means comprising a rotary fluid pressure pump, direct positive driving connections of invariable effect between the driving means for said spider and said pump, a rotary fluid pressure motor, positive driving connections of invariable effect between said motor and said capstan drum, and conduits connectingsaid pump and motor whereby said capstan drum is driven independently of said spider, said pump being located at a place remote from said motor, and beingprovided with an adjustable control'shaft, a manually 0perable 'hand wheel and gearing connections including a reduction gear between said hand wheel and control shaft whereby a slight ad- 'justmentof said controlshaft may besecured by a relatively large movement of said hand wheel.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set 111 hand. v

y 'DA NIEL R. FRANCIS. 

